Choosing ‘The One’

So you’ve decided to get yourself a pet dog. Oh great! Now comes the tricky part and a question that leaves you dazed for nights together ‘How do I select my to be puppy??’ In this hassle you tend to intertwine in more complications because the first choice of solution would be to visit a pet shop. So you decide to go to the pet shop and have a look at the puppies there, thinking to yourself that this would make your decision making easier. You see the wide eyed, cute and small fluffy fur balls all trying to grab your attention. This was suppose to make things easier but instead you leave the pet shop having the want to take all those little cherubic mutts home. After deciding to get a dog, it is important to get the right kind. It will not only benefit you but also that little life that will be reliable on you.

We are living in times where the houses are getting modernized into flats and row houses are being exchanged for skyscrapers. It is necessary that the size of your canine should be sufficient enough to fit your home. The size of your house will help you determine the size of your pet. After deciding the size of your pet you should focus on your schedule, as to whether there is someone there to give the pet enough training and exercise that it needs or are you having a busy schedule. This will help you eliminate the dogs that need regular exercise for their bones to stay fit in case you have hectic schedules. After all this basic evaluation you should also consider any allergies you might have. Some people have fur allergies whereas some have an allergy to the dander or even the saliva of the dogs. If you are having any such issues the selection range becomes really narrow and easier.

Now you can gladly step inside a pet shop! You will still find it hard to ignore the ones that don’t make your checklist but you got to do what you got to do. With a heavy heart, focus on the ones that you are interested in. It is very important that you note for a few pointers while picking out your puppy. Firstly, the puppy should be anything between 6 to 12 weeks old. The puppies that are younger 6 weeks will suffer from the deficiency of the nutritions it is suppose to receive from their mothers feeding. The ones older than 12 weeks shouldn’t be much of a problem. Although, they take time to get accustomed to a new home and a lot of people have claimed that they are hard to train. Secondly, the puppy should be active, not that laid back ones are not good. But the reason of lethargy may vary as to from being their basic nature to some illness you might not be able to figure out immediately.

Hopefully you should be down to a couple of puppies. Its now  time to put on those Sherlock Holmes’ glasses and look carefully at details. The head of the puppy shouldn’t be warm but should be really cool. This usually shows that your puppy is healthy. Incase if the forehead is warm check the inner side of the ear as well as the inner part of the paws. If it is warm in these places then the chances of the puppy having a fever is high. The eyes should be another important factor to notice is their eyes. It should be as clear as the blue skies and must not have discharge. It usually is a sign of infection. The way the puppy interacts with the other puppies is also very notable.  You can get a picture of whether you puppy will grow up to aggressive and docile. Usually, puppies are very loving and excited about meeting new people.  The way they interact with you also matters. Licking your fingers and wagging tail are signs that there is a positive vibe that the puppy gets from you. So visiting the pet’s shop a couple of times to just note the puppies behavior at your different visits may give you closure and makes it deciding easier for those who have a cloud of doubt.

However, sometimes the heart knows things the mind has no answers to. I’ve had such an experience too when my family decided to get a puppy home. We considered all our possibilities and settled for a chocolate brown Labrador and even settled for the puppy we wanted to get home. When we went back to get the Labrador home our eyes fell on this small furry naughty golden retriever. He had just reached the pet store and was so excited! It was love at first sight for all of us and without a shadow of doubt we decided to bring him home. And till today without any regret Stinson is the best thing that has happened to us! Analyzing is a good thing but sometimes it’s not mind over matter. Sometimes it just needs to feel right. Something that I’ve always believed in is the only thing greater than the power of mind is the courage of the heart. So go ahead and get yourself a little mutt you can call your own!